Vietnamese show business is now a place where even an unknown figure can land on the front page of the scandal-hungry media, and become ‘famous’ just by following some scandal-making tips created and practiced by some local artists, who have indeed gone from zero to well-known, although in an infamous way.

The unique formula for this is quite simple:

The artists first create a scandal, then constantly appear on newspaper to talk/clarify/deny the incident, and end up becoming scandalously well-known thanks to their constant appearances on local media reports.

Below are five most typical ‘tips’ for becoming scandalously renowned, as observed in the world of Vietnamese showbiz this year.

Tip #1:

Fake a rape

In early April, the name of singer Chau Viet Cuong appeared en mass on local newswire headlines under reports that he was accused of raping a 12th-grade schoolgirl by the alleged victim herself.

However, according to the police’s conclusion early this month, there is no proof for the charge, as the victim “was not enthusiastic in providing evidence to police, except for her letter of accusation,” police said.

The case eventually closed with the police and public learning that they were tricked by the now-well-known singer, while the media has done nothing but spread his name all around, albeit under the ‘rape singer’ label.

Now it’s your turn.

Find a schoolgirl and have her charge you of sexually assaulting her.

Tip #2:

Get naked

“Mai Hai Anh shocks the public with 100% nude photos,” no fewer than 50 local websites put this in their headlines in their early February coverage.

Mai Hai Anh, introduced by some news websites as the winner of the Khanh Hoa provincial beauty pageant, has finally made it beyond the province level to reach the whole country with a photo shoot in which she posed with nothing on her curvy body, in front of what she said is an abandoned beach in Nha Trang.

“[The photos] are to show my love for the beaches of my homeland,” Anh, who is infamously known as a ‘nudity-addicted’ beauty, talked of what photography insiders scorned as being “no different from pornography.”

Following exactly the same tip, model Quynh Nhu and Ngoc Quyen also took off their clothes and posed with the nature, to “raise environmental and climate change awareness.”

Are you brave enough to strip it all off to raise awareness about saving water?

Tip #3:

Expose your flesh

As outdated a method as it may sound, exposing your flesh in fact remains one of the best choices for local figures to capture public attention.

The latest follower of this long-standing tradition is model Thai Ha, who exposed the entire lower parts of her breasts while singing on stage at the Umbrella Party last February.

Ha was later fined VND5 million, or a mere US$240, but what she gained from the ‘incident’ is way bigger:

Her name was repeatedly headlined, and the model quickly became well-known across the country.

Other public figures who have similarly exposed their bodies include singer Thu Minh, and model Duong Yen Ngoc, whose breasts are now not something that only they know, but that the entirety of showbiz and those that follow its news know.

How about you?

Which body part you intend to expose?

Tip #4:

Write a book

A devout follower of scandal-making tips, TV actress Le Kieu Nhu has tried everything from exposing her flesh to introducing her ‘disastrous voice’ to become more famous.

Yet all efforts seemed desperate until she came up with an unprecedented way: publishing a book, with sexy photos enclosed.

Published in 2010, Nhu’s debut fiction, titled “Soi xich” (The Chain), was soon revoked as it was deemed a ‘sex book,’ whose content explicitly described sexual activities in vulgar language.

Not dispirited by the recall of her book, Nhu went on to announce the release of her second book “Nguoi dan ba luc 0h” (The Woman at Midnight) late last March.

“The book will talk about love, and sex of course, as an indispensable part of life,” Nhu was quoted as saying.

The book is, again, full of strangely conceptualized photos of her wearing few clothes.

Consider publishing your debut book right away.

But don’t forget to include the sexy photos.

Tip #5:

Be accused of homosexuality

Sounds strange?

But yes, this is exactly what pop singer Cao Thai Son has done over the last week to have his name and photos churned up again.

Accused by a man named Adam Nguyen, a Vietnamese man living overseas, Son organized a press conference to turn down all allegations, and claimed that he is a “typical man.”

The scandal-hungry media was eager to snatch up any new developments in the case, but Adam Nguyen, who initially claimed that he would pursue the case till the end, suddenly told reporters, “I’m too exhausted to continue, and will keep silent, leaving the judgment for the public.”

As the case suddenly closed, insiders quickly realized that the ‘gay accusation’ is a perfect play directed by Adam and Son to promote their images, which may set a new example for those who want to gain instant notoriety in showbiz.